ELIZABETHVILLE —
“Senior Night” can mean different things to different people but the atmosphere will typically cause athletes to find that extra gear to perform well.
For Ian Buffington, it translated into 214 yards rushing and five touchdowns to lead Upper Dauphin to a 53-22 win over East Juniata. Buffington went into the locker room with 155 yards and four touchdowns but was not finished finding his way into the end zone, adding a one-yard score early in the third quarter.
“It made me feel really good about my season,” said Buffington. “Especially tonight, last home game and to go out on a high note.”
From the opening Trojans (3-5, 3-4 TVL) possession, it was clear that Buffington was playing with a full head of steam and would not let any Tigers (1-7, 0-7 TVL) defenders drag him to the ground before he had gained significant yardage. A five-yard touchdown on the first drive would prove to be simply a warmup to the type of game Buffington would have.
“Ian is just a tough back,” said Trojans head coach Brent Bell. “A lot of plays, he got extra yardage after first contact. He did a great job tonight.”
Buffington added an eight-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to give the Trojans a 13-7 lead after the Tigers tied the game on a touchdown catch by Marcus Klingler after David Brantley put the Tigers in the red zone with a 53-yard run.
In any breakout game, the main cog will have a large play to gain yardage and Buffington was no exception.
Showing shades of the Oregon quick-strike offense, Buffington bursted through a hole on a 42-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter. Moments later, the Trojans held a 21-7 lead after a two-point conversion run by Austin A. Weaver.
A quick three-and-out by the Trojans defense put the ball back into the hands of the Trojans offense and into the end zone. From the Tigers 25, Buffington needed two plays to punch the ball in for the fourth time in the first half.
A 14-yard touchdown from the senior running back gave the Trojans a 27-7 lead.
After the Trojans recovered an onside kick to start the second half, the rushing attack kicked back into high gear with a quick scoring drive. Two plays later, Buffington had added another touchdown
Despite not being able to find the end zone on the ground, David Brantley made an impact using his speed in the receiving game to help the Tigers.
The versatile running back caught two passes but made the most of his opportunites with 77 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown.
“David did a great job,” said Tigers head coach Simon Cameron. “I think a lot of our guys did well. We just got out-handled.”
Game Night Online
Buffington leads Upper Dauphin past East Juniata
- Football News Wire
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High School Football Scoreboard
PIAA Playoffs
Friday
PIAA Class AAA Quarterfinal
at Bethlehem
Allentown Central Catholic 41, Selinsgrove 13 FINALSaturday
Continued ...
PIAA Class AA Quarterfinal
at HersheyPark Stadium
Wyomissing 52, Danville 0, FINAL
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Lewisburg's Brandon Smith will walk on at Penn State as a linebacker
LEWISBURG - Some may question Lewisburg Brandon Smith's decision to walk on at Penn State despite getting two offers from Ivy League schools at both Penn and Princeton. For the Lewisburg senior though, it all came down to his faith and believing in it.
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Brandon Smith sweeps 2012 high school football honors
LEWISBURG - When he was playing football at Lewisburg High, Nathaniel Brown once joked in a film session after watching himself throw a block that if he could block for himself, he would have a lot more yards.
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Daily Item names 2012 high school football all-stars
SELINSGROVE - If the 2012 edition of The Daily Item All-Stars were not a fictional team, the quarterback would find a familiar downfield target. But Bloomsburg quarterback Ricky Klingerman, while knowing he could make big plays with teammate and cousin wide receiver John Klingerman, the Panthers’ junior first-year starter might be just as content to hand the ball off to one of his elite running backs.
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Jim Keiser and Dave Hess are 2012 Coaches of the Year
Two of the pleasant surprises among Valley football teams this season were the turnaround by Selinsgrove and the solid season by a young Danville team.
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Nine local football stars earn all-state nods
LEWISBURG - For the third consecutive season Lewisburg linebacker Brandon Smith headlines the Valley’s contingent on the Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Football team.
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High school football: Eagles place five on All-Star team
Following a hotly-contested 2012 season, Line Mountain placed a combined five players on the 2012 Tri-Valley League All-Star Team, as selected by the league's head coaches.
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HAC champions dominate all-star teams
In addition to claiming its first District 4 Class AA title since 1999, Danville also put the most players onto the 2012 Heartland Athletic Conference All-Star team, as selected recently by the league’s head coaches.
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High School Football Scoreboard
- Box Scores
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- Wyomissing 52, Danville 0
- Allentown Central Catholic 41, Selinsgrove 13
- Danville 28, Mount Carmel 21
- Dunmore 35, Southern Columbia 29
- Southern Columbia 47, South Williamsport 12
- Mount Carmel 48, Montoursville 20
- Danville 14, Athens 13
- Selinsgrove 31, Milton 0
- Montoursville 37, Lewisburg 33
- Southern Columbia 28, Line Mountain 21
